


Which Partner?

by TwelveTurquoise12



Category: Assassination Classroom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ChibaHaya, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Follows Canon Timeline, Friendship, Idiots in Love, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Mutual Pining, Nakamura Yada and Kurahashi act as Hayami's friends, Romance, Slow Burn, Some Violence in later chapters, Sugaya Okajima and Mimura act as Chiba's friends, alternative universe, drama in later scenes, eventual backstory reveal, love square, oblivious idiots, only tagging those who have been akumatized, there are a ton of ships but the main one is ChibaHaya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-05-27 07:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15019247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwelveTurquoise12/pseuds/TwelveTurquoise12
Summary: Due to her love of cats, Ladybug falls for the other half of the superhero duo, Black Cat. However, he only has eyes for his friend and sniping partner, Hayami Rinka.An AU where Hayami gets the ladybug miraculous, and Chiba gets the cat miraculous. Various classmates also get akumatized. Cross-posted on fanfiction.net





	1. Origins

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in Japan. I thought it would be weird if a Japanese had a French name like Chat Noir, so I changed it to Black Cat. Hawkmoth’s name is also changed to Kochou (蝴蝶 or “butterfly” in Japanese). Also this time Marinette isn't Ladybug, Adrien isn't Chat Noir (in case you get confused). I just took elements from ML and stuffed them into the Assassination Classroom universe. Also let's assume that no one can tell their hair colour and voice are the same.

“Good, let's move on to the next chapter.”

Hayami flipped a page. She was revising alone on a peaceful Sunday. Her second year of middle school had just begun, but she didn't allow herself to slack off.

There was a loud bang from outside. Hayami looked out of her window, and what looked like a gigantic bird was flying outside. Hayami blinked. It looked like a huge Pokemon? What the hell was that?

She turned the television on and she the local news was broadcasting the huge bird. “The so-called bird is actually a human who wears huge wings and calls themselves ‘Freefeather’,” the reporter said. “It is now wreaking buildings and causing damage.”

A rather shaky video was shown, with Freefeather squawking, “I will have freedom! No one can limit me anymore!”

  _That's… that's supernatural!_ Hayami thought worriedly. _What's happening?_

And that was when she saw a jewelry box on her desk. It certainly wasn't there before, Hayami thought, but maybe she had overlooked it because she was too focused on her work.

Her curiosity got better of her and Hayami opened the box cautiously. A bright red light shone out of it, and Hayami shielded her eyes…

* * *

 

“Let's go oniisan!”

A four year old little girl pulled at her older brother’s hand, who was a full decade older than her.

“Ah, okay, Mi-chan.”

Chiba let his younger sister direct him, giving her the freedom to choose where they were going.

“Can I have a lollipop?” Minori asked Chiba excitedly, pointing at a candy store. Her eyes were shining and she looked adorable.

“Mom says you can't have any sweets this week.” Chiba said gently. “So maybe next week?”

Minori looked disappointed. “Fine, I guess.” she muttered.

Chiba didn't like seeing his sister upset, so he came up with an idea. “Say, let's visit the toy shop-” Chiba saw a shadow above him. “ _Look out Minori!”_

Minori felt someone push her and she fell to the ground, fortunately without any scratches. She quickly realized something, or rather _someone,_ was missing.

“ _Oniisan!_ ”

A large piece of debris stood where she had been a few seconds ago. Minori ran to it urgently. “Oniisan? Are you there? Are you alive?”

There was a grunt. “I'm fine, Minori.” Chiba replied. His leg was stuck under the debris and he tried to tug it out. He saw more parts of damaged buildings raining from the sky, and a huge bird flying between them.

“Listen to me! Minori, go to somewhere safe with people and police! Run!”

“B-but how about you?” Minori stuttered.

“Don't worry about me!” Chiba yelled as he tried to free his leg.“I'll be fine!”

“I'm not leaving you!” Minori sobbed.

“If you stay than no more sweets for a month!”

A window pane shattered near them and the glass shards flew towards them. Minori saw the broken street and the scratches made by the flying shards, looked back nervously before running off crying.

Chiba saw the mess falling down, closed his eyes and said a small prayer. It seemed like the end of the world…

* * *

 

“...and that's what the ladybug miraculous powers are about!” A small, red, bug-like creature explained.

“So… with these earrings I can fight the bad guy and bring peace?” Hayami asked. The initial shock of Tikki, the ladybug kwami, appearing had worn away due to more exciting things happening outside.

“Yeah. But do you want to know why you were chosen-”

“I am sorry for interrupting you, but at this point I don't care if I am made to be a superhero or not, I just want to save the people.” Hayami's mind was spinning so she chose the most logical path. “Tell me what I need to do to defeat the bird and we'll talk about this later.”

Tikki blinked. This was one of her chosens that focused more on actions than words and she could see the determination in her eyes. Her guardian had been observing Hayami for some time, and knew she was trustable.

“Okay, put on these earrings. You transform by yelling “Tikki, spots on!”. You can use your yoyo to fight. You can yell “Lucky Charm!” and throw your yoyo in the air, and an item will fall down to help you defeat the enemy. You will detransform 5 minutes after you use the Lucky Charm. The enemy is called an akuma. Find an item that the akuma, or an evil butterfly, is in. Break it and cleanse it using your yoyo. The akuma is sent by Kochou, and he wants to use the akuma to get your miraculous. Don't let him. Throw your Lucky Charm in the air while yelling “Miraculous Ladybug!” and everything will turn back to normal. After you detransform, you use up all of my energy, and I need sweet things, preferably cookies, to regain my energy so you can transform again. Questions?”

To her surprise, Tikki saw Hayami writing down notes. “I think I got it. I don't think I can be a superhero, but I'll do whatever it takes to save people.”

The information was rushing around in Hayami’s head. There could be nothing seen in the TV because all the cameras had been destroyed, but she could hear the chaos outside.

“That means you have potential to be a great superhero, but we'll talk about it later,” Tikki said encouragingly.

Hayami put the black earrings on. Her voice a bit shaky, she said, “Tikki, spots on!”  

* * *

 

Pieces of concrete fell down, nearly hitting Chiba. He could feel his leg getting numb and was reminded of that movie he once saw about a man cutting his arm off in order to survive when his arm was trapped.

He wasn't sure if he was going to live. He could only hope that his sister was safe.

“So, that's the thing?” Ladybug, or Hayami in transformed form, muttered as she scanned the area on a rooftop.

She knew if she could find and break the akumatized item, everything would be fine.

Ladybug threw out her yoyo and it bounced off a wall, nearly hitting herself.

 _Well, that was a good start,_ Ladybug thought.

After realizing that she needed some practice in order to face the akuma, Ladybug decided to save the civilians first. Tossing away debris, she freed people trapped under them.

Chiba saw a girl around his age in a tight fitting suit, which was red with black polka dots. She wore a mask and dashed around, saving people. Was she a superhero, saving them from monsters?

Chiba saw the girl lift the piece of debris his leg was stuck in. “Thank you,” he replied, a bit slowly because his mind hadn't caught up with the current events.

The girl gave a nod of her head to indicate she had heard him, and sped away, peach coloured pigtails flying behind her.

Chiba looked down at his freed leg and grimaced. It was a purplish colour and it still felt numb. Using his good leg, he hopped to a place where he hoped was safe, and waited.

Ladybug hopped on top of a half-destroyed building. She looked at Freefeather, and saw a black pendant it wore around its neck. When Ladybug looked closer she could see the faint shape of a feather.

 _That must be what was making it go crazy,_ Ladybug thought.

She swung her way to Freefeather, and in a daring motion, she landed on top of it.

“Squaw, squaw! Get off me!” Freefeather shook its body and Ladybug nearly tumbled off, but she wrapped her arms around it to keep herself steady. She tried to get the pendant but her hands missed.

Freefeather soared to the sky, Ladybug still clinging on him.

 _I_ knew _a new ladybug miraculous holder will appear. Quick, get her earrings!_ A purple outlined mask appeared on Freefeather’s face as it heard the voice talking. “Yes Kochou-sama,” Freefeather seethed.

 _Oh no,_ Ladybug looked down and saw the city moving farther and farther away. She flung her yoyo out and it caught onto a pipe, and then she swung herself to the ground, landing shakily.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug said, a bit out of breath. “What is this- a fishing rod?”

Ladybug looked at the red-and-black rod in her hands, then at the pendant. She quickly thought of a plan when she looked at her surroundings.

Ladybug leapt on top of a building and stood there, as if waiting for the akuma. Freefeather noticed her and flew at her with an angry squawk. Soon she had lured it into a building site and Freefeather's legs were stuck in the softened concrete.

Ladybug perched on a pile of materials nearby. As the akuma struggled to free itself, Ladybug stretched out the rod, hooked the pendant and lifted it up. Ladybug stepped on the pendant and broke it, and a black butterfly flew out, which Ladybug assumed was the akuma.

“Um. Cleanse the akuma.” Ladybug muttered, while waving her yoyo. She hadn’t been given specific instructions but she hoped she could do her job the same.

To her amazement the yoyo caught the akuma and it shone. After a few seconds, a white, purified butterfly flew out.

Ladybug threw the fishing rod in the air and said quietly, “Miraculous Ladybug.” She wasn't one to make big appearances.

The rod exploded into dozens of ladybugs and they swarmed through the area, repairing everything.

Chiba saw glowing ladybugs heading towards him. Scared, he tried to move away but his bad leg forbade him from moving quickly. The ladybugs surrounded him and his leg healed on his own.

Ladybug looked at the ladybugs restoring things to what they were before with a small smile. She was about to call it a day when she saw a small child crying.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Ladybug asked after she walked to the child.

The child sniffed as tears poured from her eyes. “My brother had gotten stuck. I don't know where he is. C-can you help me find him?”

“Of course.” Ladybug heard a beep from her earrings. That must be indicating she didn't have much time left. She picked the girl up with superhuman strength and leapt across the streets to find the girl’s brother.

“What does he look like?” Ladybug’s green eyes scanned the area.

“Oniisan is tall. He also doesn't have any eyes.” The girl replied innocently.

Ladybug blinked. She wouldn't try to understand the mind of a kid. Besides, how can anyone not have any eyes?

“Hold on,” she said to the girl. She jumped onto the rooftops to get a better view. A lone figure caught her eye. He had black hair, bangs which covered his eyes and he wore a beanie. He looked around her age.

“Is that him?” Ladybug asked.

“Yes! Oniisan!” The girl called. Ladybug jumped down and set the girl on the ground.

Chiba turned to see the superhero girl next to his sister. “Minori!” He ran over to her and would have tripped, but Ladybug caught his arm.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Just a bit unused to my leg being fine again.” Chiba looked into the girl’s bright green eyes, which were intensely staring at him. “And thanks for saving me just now.”

  _He looks familiar… do I know him?_

“Thank you for helping me find oniisan.” Minori said to Ladybug. “Onee-chan, are you a superhero?”

“Kind of.” Ladybug replied. She could see the news crew and the camera lens flashing as they located her. She groaned internally; she wasn't ready to deal with people.

“Do you have a name?” Chiba asked.

Ladybug heard another beep from her earrings. She prepared to set off, but she looked back at Chiba.

“Call me Ladybug.”

And then she was gone.

* * *

 

On Monday, when Hayami returned to school, the corridors were buzzing with excitement.

“Look look Rinka-chan!” Nakamura, her friend, shoved her phone under Hayami’s nose. “I got a picture of the new superhero!”

Hayami looked at the blurry picture of her alter ego. “I'm a bit more concerned about the new monsters though.

“Well yeah, but if superheroes also appear, we'll be alright.” Nakamura said optimistically.

 _Not when said superhero isn't sure if she can be a superhero_ , Hayami thought. After her fight with the akuma, she had a talk with Tikki. The conclusion of that talk was Hayami would try to be a superhero and Tikki had faith in her. So now the ladybug kwami was hidden in her schoolbag. There were also a few packs of cookies inside in case Tikki needed food.

“I've got to go! Bye!” Nakamura waved and skipped into the next classroom. Hayami entered hers. Everybody also looked like they were talking about the new superhero.

“Hey Chiba, does this look like her?” A grey haired boy pushed a sketchbook to the boy sitting in front of him.

Chiba turned and looked at the drawing. “Accurate enough, Sugaya.”

“Did you catch her name? She saved you, y’know.”

“No.” Chiba said, surprisingly. “I don't know her name.”

From her short words, Chiba could already feel that the girl- Ladybug was a serious person. He could see she wasn't very comfortable around people she had just met (aka. him) and she ran away when she saw cameras. He didn't want to expose her, and so he let her do the introductions when she wanted to.

Hayami recognized Chiba as her classmate. _No wonder he looked familiar. He's in my class._

“Wait, so an incredibly beautiful and sexy girl saved you a few days ago?!” A bald headed boy joined in the conversation.

Hayami felt disgusted by the perverted look on the Okajima’s face. A year spent with him was bad enough, and he _had_ to be in the same class as her too. She turned away and started to read her notes.

“Well, I won't call her that.” Chiba was uncomfortable that people were actually talking to him.

“So what's your impression of her?”

Chiba also took out his notes and hid his face behind them. “I am not answering any more questions.”

Okajima looked around and saw Hayami doing the same thing as Chiba. He suddenly realized the two seemed to be very similar.

“Umm, Hayami-san, can you please do my part of the project?” A timid girl asked Hayami.

Hayami agreed readily, while wondering how to balance her academic life, her peers' academic life, and her superhero life.  

* * *

 

When Chiba returned home, he saw a jewelry box on his desk. Maybe it was some sort of gift for one of his sisters, and it was mistakenly put in his room.

But somehow he was drawn to that box, as if there was an invisible force pulling him in. Chiba slowly opened it, his (hidden) eyes widening when he saw what was inside…

“I'm sorry but no.”

Plagg, that cat kwami, scowled when he saw his chosen’s reluctance. He was nibbling on a chunk of cheese Chiba had found in the fridge.

“Listen here boy, you definitely have a nice heart. You just need to be more open, and being a superhero is the perfect chance!”

Chiba didn't reply.

“And you won't be alone. You have Ladybug as your partner. And she's probably as quiet as you are. Wow, a quiet duo of Ladybug and Black Cat. Never seen before.”

“How do you know so much?” Chiba asked suspiciously.

Plagg waved his hand dismissively. “I'm a god. I know these things. I've watched over generations of superheroes. And this cheese sucks.”

Chiba glanced at the kwami irritably. “This is the best I've got. Stop complaining.”

Plagg explained the cat miraculous powers to Chiba, in hopes of him getting him interested in being a superhero. After a while it seemed like it did work as Chiba cautiously slid the cat miraculous, a ring, on his finger.

“Now yell, ‘Plagg, claws out!’” Plagg instructed. _I'm no Tikki,_ Plagg thought. _I'm not good at encouraging people like she is._

“Plagg, claws out!”

In a flash of green light Chiba transformed into Black Cat. He looked into a mirror to see what he looked like, and got a big shock.

His normally hidden eyes were now revealed and he wore a pitch black mask. His bangs had been swept away and his hair was more spiky. Two black cat ears rested on top of his head.

Embarrassed, Black Cat immediately covered his red eyes with his hand. After a while he gradually put his hand away, and looked at the black leather suit he was wearing. Then he tried his best to flatten his bangs again, but they remained the same.

He detransformed and Plagg landed on his bed, a smirk on his face. “So?”

Chiba placed a hand on his bangs, which were covering his eyes again. “Uh… can you make it cover my eyes?”

Plagg groaned, flew to Chiba and flipped his bangs away. “Well they are creepy,” he admitted. “I can change aspects of your outfit- for a price.”

Ten minutes later Chiba found himself in a store, buying the biggest piece of Camembert cheese he could find.

Plagg munched happily on it. After his energy was restored, he said, “Now transform again.”

This time Chiba’s bangs remained, except they were a bit shorter. His hair was still a bit spiky. But the most amazing change was his eyes. They were now yellowish-green in colour and wider, and looked a bit like cat eyes.

He was satisfied with the change, and decided to go out to see what his neighbourhood would look like from rooftops.

Hayami was doing a project for someone else when she saw a black figure running on the rooftops. It was her duty as Ladybug to check out suspicious things, and _that_ certainly caught her attention.

Rapidly transforming, Ladybug followed the figure. The person launched himself to the next series of rooftops using a silver baton, which had a paw print on it.

Ladybug swung herself over and the person turned around. That was when Ladybug realized he had the most adorable cat ears on. She sucked in a breath unknowingly.

The boy looked around her age, and his hair stuck out slightly. There was a confused look in his sharp, green, cat-like eyes.

For some reason Ladybug thought he was really cute and wanted to cuddle him and squish his cheeks. It was probably because she _loved_ cats.

This was the first time Ladybug ever saw a boy that she thought was cute.

Then she realized she had been staring at him for some time. The boy’s cat ears moved, even more confused. Ladybug had to bit her lip from cooing out aloud. Who was this ridiculously cute boy?

“Is there something wrong?” The (cute) boy asked.

“No.” Ladybug said quickly as she felt her whole body go warm. “Are you another superhero?”

“Yes.” Black Cat replied shortly. “I'm Black Cat.”

“And I'm Ladybug.”

“I think we're supposed to be partners.”

There was silence as they looked away from each other.

“...I hope we can get along…”

 _Yeah, that was real smooth,_ Black Cat scolded himself. Curse his social awkwardness. He held out a hand.

Ladybug smiled. “I hope so too.” They shook hands then stood there, not knowing what to do.

“Can you tell me the basics of being a superhero?” Black Cat asked.

“Oh! I'm rather new to this business myself, so let's learn together.”

Ladybug was surprised at her eagerness, and her persona suddenly shifted from a cold and aloof one to a welcoming one.

 _Tikki was right,_ she thought. _This gives me a chance to be more open._

They ran across the rooftops, learning to get used to their outfits and weapons.

It was as if somebody flipped a trigger. In their civilian forms Ladybug and Black Cat had to study, study, and study. As perfectionists they didn't let themselves slack off.

But now they jumped around freely, without a care in the world. Black Cat looked at Ladybug, her hair whipping in the wind. He could see that she looked more comfortable here than when he had first met her in civilian form.

_She seems like a nice person. I do hope we get along. Maybe I'll actually make a friend._

 

 


	2. Crush on the Cat

Chiba was wrong. 

Being a superhero wasn't very freeing after all. 

In fact, it added a lot more burdens and responsibilities to him and Ladybug. 

They didn't instantly click and they made mistakes, so they tried to cooperate. But the problem was that neither of them liked to talk, so silent they remained. 

“This won't work,” Black Cat said after another fight with an akuma. Again, they did different things and they wasted time. 

“I know,” Ladybug agreed. “We'll talk this night. Our transformations are going to run out.” She jumped away and vanished. 

Black Chat sighed and also ran away. He had mountains of homework to do, family chores, babysitting his sister, and group projects. Not to mention patrolling duty with Ladybug and crime fighting. 

Chiba buried his head in his work until dinnertime. He went out of his room, ate quickly and then retreated to his room. 

In his room, Chiba searched up the Ladyblog. It was ran by a diehard fan of the heroes, and it had appeared a few days prior. Its use was to post akuma attacks so Ladybug and Black Cat could arrive at the scene quicker. There was also a photo collection of the two heroes. 

Afterwards, Chiba went on social media and searched for his alter ego and Ladybug. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of comments about them, especially about their supposed romantic relationship. Surprisingly, a lot of people commented on Black Cat’s looks. 

“He's so cute!! I wanna squish his face ~~~” 

“I love him he’s so hottttt” 

“outta the way ladybug he's mine <3” 

“...What?” Chiba looked at the screen, disgusted yet confused. 

Plagg zoomed out of his pocket. “Well Ladybug’s not going to like this.” 

“Why?” 

“Would you like it if the public kept on commenting on your partner’s attractiveness?” Plagg asked drily, remembering he wasn't supposed to reveal the fact that most, if not all Ladybugs and Black Cats end up as lovers. 

“I think not. And I should be meeting with her at eleven tonight. I still have time to work.” 

“Just don't overwork yourself,” Plagg yawned and flew under Chiba’s blanket. “I'm gonna sleep for a while. 

“...hey! You! Wake up!” 

Chiba grunted and lifted his face from where it was on the desk. Plagg was kicking his arm. 

“I can't believe you fell asleep too.” Plagg scowled. “That's unlike you. Anyways you're going to be late.” 

“Late?” Chiba muttered sleepily. “It's not the time for school… oh wait!” 

He grabbed his clock. Three minutes until eleven. His sleepy eyes widened. 

“Crap! The meeting with Ladybug!” 

* * *

Ladybug stood on the roof of the town’s public library. It was their preferred meeting spot. She checked the clock in her yoyo. 

“5 minutes left,” she muttered. She sat down and looked at the view, her hair ribbons blowing slightly in the wind. 

Ever since Ladybug met Black Cat, she had somehow always anticipated his arrival, whether they were meeting for patrol or akuma fights. A thought flashed into her mind. _I hope he won't be late..._

She suddenly caught sight of a young girl running away from a bunch of thug-looking guys. Instantly alert, Ladybug leapt down from the library. 

_She looks around my age. Why is she out this late?_

The girl wore a pair of shorts and a tank top. _Maybe she's one of those party girls,_ Ladybug thought. The girl ran until she reached a dead end and looked around, scared. 

“Hey pretty girl, wanna play with us?” one guy asked, his meaty hand slamming on the wall beside the girl. 

“Umm… I'll rather not…” the girl replied timidly. 

“Too bad,” another boy cackled as he and the other guys walked closer to the girl. “Hehe, this going to be _fun_ …” 

To the boys’ surprise, another girl clad in a black and red outfit suddenly stood in front of them. 

Ladybug spun her yoyo quickly. “You want fun? I'll give you fun.” she hissed. “It's my job to protect innocent citizens.” 

The guys paled when they saw the superhero. “Scram!” one of them yelled and ran away, the others following him. 

“Cowards.” Ladybug commented and stopped spinning her yoyo. She turned to the girl behind her. “Are you okay?” 

“Y-yes.” The girl replied. “Thanks for saving me.” 

“No problem. And you shouldn't be out this late. You better go home now.” Ladybug advised. Now she could look closely, the girl seemed vaguely familiar. 

“I am. In fact my home is just another block away. You don't need to worry, Ladybug.” the girl assured her. 

Ladybug wondered if she had to escort the girl back home. But a part of her didn't want to do that, because that would mean contact with strangers. 

“Okay,” Ladybug said finally. “I gotta go!” She swung herself up on the rooftops and ran back to the library. 

She was busy seeing if the thugs were still on the streets when she crashed into someone. A pair of hands grabbed her and regained her balance. 

Ladybug looked up and her heart skipped a beat. “Oh. It's you.” 

“Hi.” Black Cat greeted, his partner still in his arms. He quickly let go. 

There was silence and Ladybug brushed nonexistent dust off her arms. 

“Shall we begin our patrol?” Black Cat asked. 

“Sure.” Ladybug said and they leapt across Japan’s rooftops, chatting while keeping an eye on the streets. 

“So,” Ladybug began. “We have an interview next day.” 

Black Cat sighed internally. As a socially awkward person in both identities, he preferred to avoid people. “Yeah. People on the internet have a lot of questions.” 

“And most of them are about us dating,” Ladybug crossed her arms. “We've only met for like two weeks.” 

“They're probably going to inquire after our ages too.” The cat ears on Black Cat’s head twitched. “By the way, how old are you?” 

“Eh?” Ladybug looked surprised. Her companion realized that question might be offensive to a female too late. 

“Probably as old as you are.” Ladybug replied, after thinking for a while. 

“Hmm…” Black Cat looked up and down at Ladybug’s body. Her height seemed to overlap with the heights of the girls at his school, so unless she was an immortal or whatever they would be around the same age. 

Unfortunately, this was the first time somebody had ever looked at Ladybug or Hayami this intensely. Feeling rather self conscious, she hit Black Cat across the chest with her yoyo. It didn't hurt because his suit absorbed the damage, but it was enough to bring him back to reality. 

“What are you staring at?” Ladybug asked sternly, crossing her arms. 

“Nothing.” Black Cat answered too quickly and too innocently. 

Ladybug didn't believe him. She looked down at her skin tight suit, and somehow that idiot Okajima came to her mind. Her face got redder and she spat out, “Pervert.” 

“I was just trying to see how tall you were!” Black Cat defended himself. “Or would you prefer…” He stretched out a hand and put it on top of her head, and pulled his hand back until he hit his nose. 

Ladybug stiffened when Black Cat put his hand on her head. She was reminded that perverts like Okajima exist. From what she'd seen of Black Cat so far, he seemed like a pretty respectable person, but she had zero idea what he was like in his civilian form. She shuddered, and hoped that he wasn't a really weird guy under the mask. Because of her unpleasant thoughts, she decided to change the topic. 

“Maybe they'll ask about how we feel as a superhero.” Ladybug suggested. 

The duo thought of possible questions and tried to answer them. Neither of them liked people prying into their lives, so they had thought of lying to the press about preferences such as favourite food and colour. 

“I really hope they won't ask a lot of questions. I don't like talking about myself.” Black Cat mentioned. 

“Same.” Ladybug agreed. “And that brings us to our next topic.” 

Black Cat knew what she meant. “We can start by discussing fighting tactics.” 

Surprisingly, the duo had a lot of things to talk about when it concerned their work. It was the most they had ever talked about. When they didn't use their special powers, their transformations could last for hours, so they didn't have to worry. 

Some time later, Ladybug checked her yoyo.“It's half past twelve in the morning,” she said in amazement. “We have been talking for an hour and half.” 

“That's… some progress.” Black Cat scanned the area to determine which direction his home was in. “We should go home.” 

A part of Ladybug didn't want to leave. As a very quiet person, she didn't have a lot of people to talk to. Her parents were rarely home, Nakamura could be too chatty and outgoing, but Black Cat was similar to her, and they knew each other’s limits. 

“You know, the people on the internet seem to like how you look,” Ladybug teased her partner. 

“I never thought that would happen.” Black Cat muttered. When he was in his other form, people thought of him as weird no matter he showed his eyes or not. The power of the cat miraculous _was_ strong. A bit embarrassed, his cat ears drooped. 

_Awwwwww,_ Ladybug thought automatically. A small grin appeared on her face, and she patted Black Cat’s head. “You're kind of cute though,” she said and leapt away. 

Black Cat stared after her, bewildered. “Did you just…” 

He put his hand on where Ladybug had just touched. Feeling a bit confused yet amused, he made his way home. 

* * *

“I just did that,” Hayami muttered, lying on her bed and cuddling her blanket. 

“Yes, you did that.” Tikki said patiently. “You said Black Cat was cute.” 

Hayami cringed and buried her face in her blanket. 

“Why did I do that?” she muttered, and turned around so she faced Tikki, who was sitting on a chair. The kwami had a makeshift bed made out of a towel, but since she was a god she didn't need sleep like humans did. 

“Well,” Tikki’s eyes lit up. “Maybe you like Black Cat!” 

“I do like him. As a partner.” Hayami replied. 

“No Rinka-chi, I mean _romantically_ ,” Tikki explained. Rinka-chi was Tikki’s nickname for her. 

There were a few seconds of silence. 

“No. That's not possible. I don't like him that way,” Hayami denied, although her heart was beating fast. 

“I've seen many many cases,” Tikki soothed. “It's normal for your age.” 

“I don't. I don't have a crush on him.” Hayami continued to state. 

“Do you always want him to show up?” Tikki asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“Does your heart race when you see him?” 

“Sort of.” 

“Do you think he's cute?” 

“...Yeah.” 

Tikki flew down from her perch and hovered in front of Hayami’s face. “Now do you think you have a crush on Black Cat?” she asked once again. 

This time Hayami didn't reply. She turned away and pretended to sleep. “Good night Tikki.” 

Tikki smiled. She already knew her chosen’s answer. “Good night.” 

* * *

When Chiba stepped into his classroom the next day, he got a big shock. 

“W-what?!” 

On the blackboard, there was a huge chalk drawing of Ladybug and Black Cat. It was completely drawn with white chalk and the duo were posed heroically, yoyo and baton out. A boy was carefully drawing the smaller details on the blackboard. 

“Wow, he's good at this…” 

“Amazing, Sugaya-kun!” 

The class artist stood up straight and basked in his classmates' praise. “It's finished!” he announced. 

Everybody clapped. Standing behind Sugaya, a girl with peach coloured shoulder length hair studied the drawing, arms folded. 

Sugaya noticed the girl, who didn't seem to be impressed with his drawing. “What's up? Is it not good enough?” 

“No,” Hayami replied, who turned out to be the girl. She had let down her hair in civilian form after the first appearance of Ladybug, so she wouldn't be so easily recognized. “It's good.” she allowed a smile on her face. “But that bit on Black Cat’s bangs are wrong,” she pointed at a spot. 

Sugaya rechecked the pictures he had used for reference. “You're right. Thanks for telling me.” Sugaya erased the spot and redrew it. 

Chiba hadn't even realized the mistake. _That girl must be really observant._

“It's a pity it can't stay for long,” somebody commented. 

“Yeah,” Sugaya agreed. “Or else I'll be seen as a delinquent. Won't want to get into Class E, after all.” 

“Hayami-san, I can't believe that you noticed that small mistake. You must be a big fan of Black Cat.” a girl said to Hayami. 

“Umm, not really.” Hayami laughed awkwardly to cover up her crush on the boy. She was the person Black Cat spent the most with in his superhero form, so naturally she would know the most about him. The problem was that she wasn't Ladybug at the moment, she was Hayami, and as far as they were concerned Hayami was just a normal citizen. 

Chiba overheard their conversation, and somehow, seeing that girl noticing details about his alter ego, made him happy yet a bit embarrassed. He wasn't used to attention. 

At lunch, the girls began to bombard Hayami with requests. Similarly, the boys also asked Chiba for favours. 

“Hey, sit with us!” Sugaya poked Chiba's arm. 

“Sorry, I work better when I sit alone. No offence.” Chiba replied. 

“You work when you eat? Life in this school is hard. You should try to relax a little,” Sugaya reminded Chiba. 

Soon, Chiba noticed that he and Hayami were the only ones who sat alone for lunch. Seemed like the girl was similar to him too. 

In Chiba’s bag, Plagg had finished munching on a piece of cheese. He poked his head out carefully, and saw Hayami. 

Because Tikki and Plagg could sense each other's presence, they knew the true identities of both Ladybug and Black Cat. Plagg flew over to Hayami’s bag, where he could sense Tikki. 

Tikki widened her eyes when she saw Plagg. Venturing out in the broad daylight and in front of Ladybug! Plagg motioned for Tikki to go out and talk. 

Tikki looked at her holder, who was busy trying to do sums while eating. Hoping Hayami wouldn't notice her disappearance, Tikki phased out of the bag. 

“Why did you call me?” Tikki asked nervously when she and Plagg found a secret place in a storage room. “Is something wrong?” 

Plagg shrugged. “I was bored.” he explained. 

“Well if we don't have anything to talk about, I should return to my chosen.” Tikki said. 

“You seem attached to her. You're like that for every holder.” Plagg remarked. 

“And you're the opposite,” Tikki sighed. “Treat your Black Cats with some more gentleness.” 

Plagg scowled. “I'm not like you, lucky bug. I bring bad luck. Sometimes, my holders just…” Plagg choked a bit. “You know, die. That's why… that's why I can't get too attached to them.” 

Tikki looked at Plagg with concern. “I understand.” 

“No, you don't.” Plagg replied angrily, a bitter look in his greenish yellow eyes. “Ladybugs protect the place, while Black Cats protect Ladybug. It's natural that my chosens die more.” 

There was a brief silence. 

“Sorry for that just now,” said Plagg, showing a bit of emotion. “That wasn't what I thought I would do to get rid of boredom.” 

“Let's change the topic,” Tikki declared. “Are we resuming our usual bet of which one will find out first?” 

Plagg smirked. “I think mine will. His hairstyles are vastly different when transformed.” 

“You're right,” Tikki agreed. “Mine looks about the same in both forms. But miraculous magic will prevent it from being too obvious.” 

“Y’know, my holder doesn't have quality cheese,” Plagg complained. 

Tikki laughed, knowing Plagg’s love of Camembert. “Maybe your standards are too high. And I think we should go back.” 

“Aww, man.” Plagg laid lazily on an upturned bucket. “I was just starting to enjoy myself.” 

Tikki grabbed Plagg’s hand and dragged him out. “Come on!” 

Plagg showed a rare grin at the ladybug kwami’s actions. Tikki was the only one that could break his sarcastic and seemingly uncaring exterior. After all, they had been paired with each other for centuries and centuries. 

No matter what happens, the ladybug and the black cat will always find a way to end up with each other. 

* * *

“It's the interview,” Chiba thought as he sat on his bed, about to transform. “I can get through this,” he muttered to himself. 

Plagg couldn't have cared more (or at least appeared too). “What are you waiting for? Get your butt out of here!” 

The interview took place at the park. It was only for the press, but the public could watch. 

When Black Cat arrived, he found lots of fangirls holding up handmade signs with words like “I  <3 Black Cat”. They yelled loudly when they saw him. 

_Oh, no._ Black Cat thought. He didn't want to disappoint, so he forced himself to wave. The fangirls cheered even louder and some even screamed. 

Ladybug swung herself to the park, and the fans of Ladybug cheered, although they were nowhere near to the volume of the cheers on Black Cat’s side. 

Ladybug was annoyed by Black Cat’s fans, and she could see that her partner wasn't comfortable. She walked to him and stood there. 

Due to the preparation the two had done for the interview, their interview went smoothly. 

“So, if you two aren't together, does that mean you are single?” the person asked. 

Ladybug and Black Cat looked at each other while the fangirls and fanboys screamed crazily. 

“That's private,” Ladybug answered. 

“What she said.” Black Cat seconded. 

“Next, will you receive fan mail?” 

“Umm, we are busy since we have double lives, so we are sorry to say that we won't receive fan mail.” Black Cat answered. 

“There's a popular webpage about you two. It's the Ladyblog. Have you checked it out?” 

“We have.” the two answered together. 

They could hear someone in the middle of the crowd scream, “SENPAI NOTICED MY PAGE!” 

After the brief interview, the heroes decided to greet their fans. 

Having no idea what to do, Black Cat said awkwardly, “Uh. I'm no good with saying things. B-but thank you for your support!” he bowed. 

The fangirls went crazy and starting screaming. Apparently, the boy’s cluelessness was adorable. 

Meanwhile, Ladybug went to her mostly male fans, and was a bit disgusted by the fact that Okajima was there. They were all very excited and started waving their signs frantically. 

“Ladybug! If I cheer for you, will you do your best?” a boy asked. 

Ladybug couldn't help but smile at the effect she had over a bunch of people. “I always do my best. But thank you for cheering for me.” 

“Ladybug! May I have your signature?” another fan asked, holding out a notebook he owned. 

“Alright,” Ladybug agreed. She and Black Cat had practiced signatures beforehand. She took the offered pen and signed the notebook. 

“Wow thanks!” the boy said. He suddenly winked. “Does it mean something special?” 

“Don't get the wrong idea.” Ladybug said immediately. 

All the boys immediately ooohed. “Tsundere!” Okajima screamed, and almost had a nosebleed. That scream was enough to put all the boys there on the same brainwave. 

“Tsundere! Tsundere! Tsundere!” the boys chanted. Ladybug turned pink. “I'm not a tsundere!” 

That only seemed to make things worse. “Ooooh! It seems like Ladybug is a cute little tsundere!” Okajima grinned. 

“Watch who you're calling cute,” Ladybug glared at Okajima. 

“Tsundere! Tsundere!” the crowd continued in unison. 

Ladybug sighed. It seemed there would be no going back. She looked at Black Cat, whose fans were still screaming wildly. 

His face was slightly flushed, greenish yellow eyes darting around. When they made eye contact, he gave her a small sheepish smile. 

Ladybug felt something warm twist in her stomach, and smiled back automatically. 

Afterwards, whenever Ladybug thought of Black Cat’s smile, she would feel happy and bubbly all over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos!  
> By the way, the party girl Ladybug rescued was Kanzaki. Sigh, Kanzaki’s bad luck with men.  
> Please leave a comment if you can! ≧ω≦

**Author's Note:**

> Please read and comment! I know not a lot of people will come to this really small crossover and this is a side characters' ship, but please tell me what you think!
> 
> PS. [ Fumiko Matsubara ](https://fumiko-matsubara.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr makes the best fanart for it! Please check it out!


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